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Why did Charles II flee to France after the Battle of Worcester?
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English Civil Wars
Battle of Naseby, by an unknown artist. The victory of the Parliamentarian New Model Army, under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, over the Royalist army, commanded by Prince Rupert, at the Battle of Naseby (June 14, 1645) marked the decisive turning point in the English Civil War.
After the defeat of the Royalist forces at the Battle of Worcester on September 3, 1651, Charles II fled to France to escape capture by the forces of the English republic.12
Following the decisive victory of Oliver Cromwell and the New Model Army, the young king became a fugitive. He spent 40 days being hunted through England, protected by a small group of loyal subjects, before successfully escaping into exile in October 1651. This flight was necessary for his survival, as the Royalist cause had been effectively crushed, leaving him destitute and unable to maintain a military presence against the increasingly powerful English Commonwealth.12